Folding car-step



rarest OFFICE.

ERNEST L. CROSS, OF PAW PAW, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING CAR-STEP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed May 21, 1920. Serial No. 383,067.

To all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, Ennnsr L. Chose, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paw Paw, in the county of Van Buren, State of Michigan, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Folding Car-Steps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway rolllng stock, and more especially to folding steps for passenger cars, and the broad object of the same is to produce an extremely simple step for attachment to the lowermost rigid step and which can be let down when a stop is made so as to avoid the customary use of boxes now employed to enable passengers to enter and leave the car.

The present invention consists in the specific construction of the support for the folding step itself, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation with this ste let down.

Big. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the step down and Fig. 3 a similar section with the step raised or folded.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4: of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the lowermost of the usual steps on a pas senger railway coach and for sake of differentiation, this element is herein referred to as the fixed step. customarily it travels at some distance above the ground and even at some little distance above the platforms at stations, and the trainman or porter places a box or stool opposite it so that passengers may-board and alight from the train with ease. Essentially is this assistance needed when a stop is made where there is no platform. Beneath the fixed step, I secure twoguides, preferably of metal and of about the cross section best seen in Fig. 4, each having one upright web 2 provided with a longitudinal slot 3, and inturned horizontal web 4, and by preference a downturned flange 5 at its inner edge. It is important that the slot extend beyond the front end of the horizontal web 4 and said front end is preferably turned down into a lip 6. Through said two slots passes a long bolt or rod 7,

the same passing also through the upper ends of two hangers 8 and these hangers I may be of L-shaped metal, their inner flanges 9 having eyes 10 at their upper ends hung on said rod and being hinged at their lower ends as at 11 to the folding step 12. The latter may well be of metal, consisting of a plate possibly having its upper face roughened, and a downturned marginal flange 13. The relative disposition of said rod through the hangers 8 is such that when their rear flanges 9 contact with the lips 6, the rod is in the front ends of the slots, the hangers are vertical, and they may not swing to the rear.

The step 12 when turned upward on its hinges 11, folds at its ends closely into the two hangers, and compresses leaf springs 20 carried by the rear leaves of such hangers, the function of these springs being to throw the step outward and downward to its operative position. In such position where the step is horizontal, it is sustained by a pair of links 21, each having a slot 22 near its lower end traveling on a bolt or pin 23 through the step near the outer edge of the latter, and a slot 24 near its upper end traveling on the hinge rod 7; and in order to permit these links freedom of movement around said rod, the fixed step is slotted or notched as seen at 25.

The step is seen open or unfolded in Fig. 1. When now it'is to be folded, its outer edge is raised so that its pins 23 travel in the lower slots 22 in the links 21, and eventually push the latter upward so that their upper slots 21 travel over the rod 7 and their upper ends are projected slightly into the notches 25. Eventually the step is folded between the hangers S, with the links lying between their outer leaves and the endmost flanges of the step, and all parts are then swung around the rod 7 and shoved straight in under the fixed step 1, sliding over the upper faces of the lower webs 4 of the guides, much as a drawer is moved on its slides. When the step is again to be used, it is drawn forward along with its hangers and links, swung downward which brings the hangers against the lips 6, and then the step itself swung forward at its front edge so that its pins 23 come to rest at the lower ends of the long slots 22 in the links 21, and the latter stand oblique as seen in Fig. 2, and obviously in this opening movement of the step, the springs assist.

It is quite obvious that the step itself may be of any desired formation, and therefore the above description must be taken only as suggestive. Also, the proportions and-materials of parts are not essential.

I might suggest that this folding step could be attached to and carried beneath any suitable support instead of the fixed step I described above, and such support might in fact be-the running board of an automobile.

What is claimed is:

1. In afolding step, the combination with a pair of guides secured beneath a fixed support, each guide being of angular section with its upright web slotted longitudinally and its horizontal web inturned and-terminating short of the front end of said slot; ofa rod slidably mounted in said slots, a pairofhangersmounted on the rod inside of said upright webs, ecah hanger adapted torest against the front end of the.-horizontal web of one of theguides when said hanger is upright, a step hinged to the lower ends of the hangers and adapted to be folded between them and to be housed with them under said support or to beopened at right angles to the hangers, and means for supporting the stepin' opened position.

2. In a folding step, the combination with a pair of guides secured beneath a fixed support, ,each guide being of. angular section with its upright web slotted longitudinally and its horizontal web inturned and terminating in a lip short of the front end of said slot; of a rodslidably mounted in said slots, apair of hangers mounted on the rod inside of said uprightwebs, eaohhanger having a rightangular flange adapted to rest against the lip at the front end of the horizontal web of one of the guides when said hanger is upright, a stephinged to the lower-ends of thelhangers and adaptedito be foldedbetweengthem and'to be housed with them under said support or tobe opened at right angles to the hangers,= and means for sup porting the step in opened position.

3. In a folding step, the combination with apair of guides secured beneath a fixed support, each guide being af angular section with itsi upright web slotted longitudinally and its horizontal web inturned and termifolded between them. and to be housed with them under said'support or to be opened at right angles to the hangers, and links pivotally connected with the ends of the step and having slots near their upper. ends slidably mounted on said rod, as described.

4:. In a folding step, the combination with a pair of guides secured beneath a fixed support, each guide being of angular section withits uprightweb slotted longitudinally and 'itshorizontal .web inturned and terminating in a lip short of the front end of said slot; of a rod slidably mounted in said slots, a .pairof hangers mounted on the rod insideiofv-said upright webs, each hanger having a rightangular flange adapted to rest against the lip at the front end of the horizontal-web of one of the guides when said hanger is upright, a step hinged to the lower ends of the hangers andfadapted to be folded between them and to be' housed with them under said support or to'be opened at right angles to the hangers, pinsin the ends of the step, and links each having a slot, at its lower endslidably 'mounted' o'n one-pin and a slot at-its upper end slidablymounted on said rod, as described.

In testimony. whereof, I afiix my signature, in the presence of two'witnesses.

V ERNEST L. CROSS.

Witnesses GLEN E vA PARKER. 

